U.S.-Flag Great Lakes Carriage

U.S.-flag lakers carried 11.9 million net tons of dry-bulk cargo on the Great Lakes in May, an increase of 7 percent compared to a year ago and a modest gain over the month's 5-year average. The increase would have been greater, but the storms that pummeled the Great Lakes basin toward the end of the month created strong currents in many waterways that resulted in significant vessel delays.

The 11 percent decrease in iron ore shipments (15 percent compared to the month's 5-year average) is misleading. Demand for steel, and hence, iron ore, remains strong, as is witnessed by the fact that for the year, the U.S.-flag iron ore float stands at 15.3 million net tons, an increase of nearly 21 percent compared to the same point in 2003 and 6.5 percent compared to the 5-year average for the January-May timeframe.

Coal loadings in U.S. bottoms totaled 3.1 million net tons in May, an increase of more than 25 percent compared to both a year ago and the month's 5-year average. Most of the coal moving on the Lakes is for power generation, so energy requirements are increasing as the economy revives. On a year-to-date basis, coal shipments in U.S.-flag lakers total 6.4 million net tons, an increase of 58 percent compared to ice-impacted 2003 and 24 percent compared to the 5-year average.

U.S.-flag limestone cargos totaled 3.5 million net tons in May, another hefty increase (25 percent) over the corresponding period last year. For the year, the U.S.-flag limestone float totals 6.9 million net tons, an increase 52 percent compared to again what was a weather-impacted 2003 and 21 percent compared to the 5-year average.

U.S.-Flag Dry-Bulk Carriage on the Great Lakes
May 2000-2004 and 5-Year Average
(net tons)
	May	May	May	May	May	5-Year
Commodity	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Average
Iron Ore
Direct Shipments	5,761,436	5,477,048	4,789,800	4,915,073	4,416,154	5,071,902
Transshipments	706,396	414,983	135,733	200,181	178,505	327,160
Total - Iron Ore	6,467,832	5,892,031	4,925,533	5,115,254	4,594,659	5,399,062
Coal
Lake Superior	1,553,215	1,494,004	1,278,274	1,663,532	1,951,513	1,588,108
Lake Michigan	149,704	282,036	332,063	290,138	390,799	288,948
Lake Erie	444,063	520,075	683,049	486,312	740,561	574,812
Total - Coal	2,146,982	2,296,115	2,293,386	2,439,982	3,082,873	2,451,868
Limestone	3,388,644	3,228,198	3,146,535	2,798,588	3,490,952	3,210,583
Cement	494,086	475,503	398,024	498,205	488,215	470,807
Salt	95,062	39,508	50,098	138,091	126,090	89,770
Sand	40,805	61,790	48,809	44,434	47,736	48,715
Grain	16,322	65,332	67,237	44,568	43,390	47,370
Totals	12,649,733	12,058,477	10,929,622	11,079,122	11,873,915	11,718,174

U.S.-Flag Carriage Year-To-Date 2000-2004 and 5-Year Average
(net tons)
						5-Year
Commodity	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Average
Iron Ore
Direct Shipments	15,810,394	12,973,454	11,086,189	11,909,858	14,264,102	13,208,799
Transshipments	2,290,570	1,640,343	135,733	785,379	1,064,229	1,183,251
Total - Iron Ore	18,100,964	14,613,797	11,221,922	12,695,237	15,328,331	14,392,050
Coal
Lake Superior	3,339,680	3,328,969	2,680,818	2,774,446	3,876,825	3,200,148
Lake Michigan	506,862	663,649	684,766	546,686	1,057,469	691,886
Lake Erie	1,366,707	1,425,078	1,488,542	731,785	1,497,038	1,301,830
Total - Coal	5,213,249	5,417,696	4,854,126	4,052,917	6,431,332	5,193,864
Limestone	6,004,325	5,607,182	5,612,044	4,556,074	6,948,686	5,745,662
Cement	1,170,103	1,102,668	1,017,749	1,029,473	1,124,592	1,088,917
Salt	262,424	184,661	169,723	322,239	164,407	220,691
Sand	40,805	61,790	48,809	87,383	87,238	65,205
Grain	16,322	97,497	82,914	58,930	58,010	62,735
Totals	30,808,192	27,085,291	23,007,287	22,802,253	30,142,596	26,769,124